episode_0157

I also liked the character of Lotty. He wasn’t a character that you could conquer, but whenever Jake and Lotty appeared in the game, they would usually chat like that. It wasn’t so funny that you’d burst out laughing, but it was heartwarming.

“Then, what information should I give you?”

He probably didn’t mean it when he said he wanted to talk to me alone. He probably just thought he’d joke around since Loti was right next to him.

The first time he spoke to me, he must have just said what Roti said in a fit of anger.

Basically, he was a character who hid his emotions with a blank expression, but that doesn’t mean he was emotionless. He just got used to enduring things since he was young.

Jake feels sorry for that old Roti.

“What information can you give me?”

“Hmm.”

Jake thought about my question for a moment and then said.

“Is it hot even at this time of year because it’s down there?”

Because it’s a place that borders the desert.

The empire occupied most of the western end of the continent, and colonized the northern part of the southern continent extending below it.

The family that took the lead in the early stages of the invasion of the Southern Continent was Lindburgh. In the days before the Imperial Council existed, they recruited pirates and made them their subordinates, and took over the early seas, absorbing them into their own territory over the course of a century.

Thanks to this, the Lindburgh Estate is divided into upper and lower halves with the sea in the middle.

The territory to the north, separated by the sea, is peaceful and has nothing special to boast about. It is a dukedom, so it is very large, but that’s all, and it doesn’t produce any great special products.

Most of the Lindburgh family’s money comes from their lands in the Southern Continent. They occupy all of the fertile lands in the northern part of the Southern Continent, and trade income with the colonies across the desert below accounts for most of the Lindburgh family’s income.

The money they receive from leasing out the naval bases they built before the abolition of private soldiers to the Imperial Army will be quite lucrative.

And like the Winterfield family, they also had a private army to some extent because they were located on the border.

“I think it would be okay to play at the beach. Swimsuits are popular these days in Yeongji.”

“… … .”

After hearing what Jake said to me, Lottie’s expression became as if she was holding back something.

If we only follow the ‘research’, then even if it’s called a swimsuit from the early 20th century, it’s no different from a baggy outfit. Women’s swimsuits in particular had to be like that.

But… …what kind of worldview is this? It is a worldview created by a Japanese game company at the forefront of otaku subculture.

Of course, the swimsuits didn’t look much different from the swimsuits in the world I lived in.

It’s funny to be talking about that when there’s a bunny girl wandering around the casino in the first place.

“And, well… … I could tell you about the specialties and stuff, but honestly, it doesn’t really have much to do with what we’re going to do there, right?”

“That’s right.”

Even if Jake knew the important secrets of the territory, he wasn’t the kind of character who would openly reveal those secrets.

“That’s fortunate~ It means that it will be warm for a few days. It was hard to adjust to a cold place after being in a warm place during the vacation.”

“If the temperature suddenly changes, you may get sick. Rather, you should worry about your health. You will be going back and forth twice this month.”

“Don’t worry, Loti. I’m as strong as I look. And if you’re going to judge it that way, shouldn’t Loti, who has a woman’s body, be more worried?”

“I… ….”

I had to hold back a bitter laugh when I saw Roti closing her mouth as if to say, “What am I going to say?” while trying to say something.

*

Most other territories didn’t require crossing the vast ocean, so each group went separately without any major problems, but the Lindburgh territory was different.

Since there was nothing special to learn in the Northern Lindburgh Territory, the training ground was naturally the Southern Lindburgh Territory.

The colonies of the Southern Continent were extremely important even by the standards of the empire. The reason the empire could be an ’empire’ was because of the numerous colonies.

Many people believed that the Azerna Empire was complete when all the colonies were conquered and the Emperor declared, “I am the Emperor of Two Continents.”

Well, even back in the days of the first emperor Pan Griffin, they had been confidently using the word ’empire’ after the name of the continent. But even so, rather than calling a single country an empire, it would be easier for other countries to accept if they claimed it to be an empire while having true imperialistic aspects.

Why the Empire can be a true empire.

That was the very reason why the Academy sent its students here once.

Moreover, since it was an academy that often included foreign students, how great would it be to show off the prestige of the empire?

There must be practical reasons for sending an airship instead of a ship, as well as an attempt to show the empire’s status.

“The Empire claims the vast sea as its territorial waters.”

“Because there are imperial territories above and below.”

Alice answered Charlotte’s words.

Strictly speaking, the entire sea cannot be territorial waters as agreed upon under international law.

However, the empire applied the law to all the islands and reefs it occupied here and there, effectively claiming half of the Mediterranean Sea as its territorial waters.

The Empire’s naval power is so powerful that no country can refute it. If they are a country that can launch battleships into the air, why can’t they launch them in the sea?

“Belbur is in the northern part of the continent anyway, so it hardly uses this sea.”

“… … There is a saying that the prices of goods coming from across this sea are overly inflated.”

“That’s not because the Empire treats the sea as its own territory. It’s because the Lindburgh family has a lot left over. Rather, that’s why there’s not much difference between obtaining the same goods in the Empire’s mainland and in foreign countries. And if you want to do business, you can just trade with the Kingdom of Evelia, right?”

Alice reacted a little harshly, perhaps because of the gossip about the country she might inherit.

Despite Alice’s reaction, Charlotte didn’t seem particularly scared. After all, they were already friends before they became princesses.

“The Kingdom of Evelia has almost no colonies in the Southern Continent. It’s been 20 years since unification, right? In the meantime, the Empire has occupied all the valuable lands in the Southern Continent. ”

“That’s the fault of those people who have been fighting for centuries.”

… … .

hmm.

These are stories that I’ve hardly ever heard of in the original. No, of course I knew about them in the setting, but I’ve never heard the characters talk about them. Even when political stories pass by, they’re usually stories about direct conflicts between the Empire and the Kingdom.

Indeed, in terms of setting, these two characters were characters from the 20th century when imperialism and nationalism were just beginning to spread. Their pride in their own country was at its peak, and that pride was naturally based on the power of the colonies they were occupying or the country itself.

Well, that would break quickly too.

I turned my gaze and glanced at Roti.

Although the airship was filled with all of the first-year students from Rondarium Academy, those standing in this scenic observation deck were mostly noble students.

If the noble students take the good seats first, most of the common students won’t be able to come down because it would be uncomfortable.

But among them, there was one student who particularly stood out.

No, rather than saying that the student stands out, I should say that the gazes of those around the student stand out.

It was Roti.

Roti next to Jake.

Jake probably didn’t bring her here by force. No matter how mischievous Jake is, he doesn’t like it when people look down on Lotti. She’s the girl he likes.

The fact that Roti is here is probably Roti’s own will.

I guess she’s making excuses like ‘I’m here to assist you as a maid.’

In reality, I just want to be with you.

Our eyes met for a moment as I turned my gaze toward Roti. Roti naturally turned her gaze back out the window, but it was clear that she was interested in what I was saying.

That’s understandable, since Roti was a colonial person.

In fact, he grew up as a Lindburgh person in the Lindburgh estate, but he was openly discriminated against because of his appearance. The conversation between the two people who talked about the cause of that discrimination so nonchalantly must have been concerning.

But there was no sign of anger or resentment on his face.

It’s closer to resignation.

A character with imperial blood, who belongs neither here nor there.

Even before dating Jake, and even after they became lovers, this character was always the subject of gossip among the nobles.

“… … .”

At first, I didn’t really care, but once I actually felt it, it felt a lot harder than when I saw it in the game.